Questions & Answers about Čeka nas u hodniku.
Why does u trigger the locative case (hodniku) here instead of the accusative, since we are learning about motion verbs?
The preposition u takes the accusative case only when indicating direction or motion into something (like with ući, to enter). But here, the action is čekati (to wait), which means the person is stationary in the hallway. For a fixed location ('in' rather than 'into'), u takes the locative case.
Why is the pronoun nas used, and where is the word for 'for'?
Nas is the short accusative form of mi (we). The verb čekati (to wait for) takes a direct object in the accusative case in Croatian. Notice that you don't need a preposition to say 'for' like you do in English; you just literally say 'waits us'.
How do we know it means 'He is waiting' if there is no word for 'he' in the sentence?
The verb čeka is in the third-person singular form. Because Croatian verb endings clearly show who is doing the action, subject pronouns like on (he) or ona (she) are usually dropped. Without more context, this could also mean 'She is waiting' or 'It is waiting'.
Is the word hodniku related to walking?
Yes! The noun hodnik (hallway or corridor) comes from the verb hodati (to walk). It is quite literally a place for walking.
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